All recipes All collections
Type Cookies Pastry Breakfast Country France Italy Germany Austria Denmark Netherlands USA Middle East Taste Sweet Salty Level Easy Moderate Hard
About Contact Buy us a coffee
Linzer Torte

Linzer Torte

Linzer Torte is Austria's most famous tart: a spiced almond crust filled with tart redcurrant jam under a woven lattice top. Often called the world's oldest known cake, it tastes even better the day after baking.

Cake Austria Sweet Moderate

The World's Oldest Cake?

The torte is named after the city of Linz, and recipes for it turn up in Austrian manuscripts from the 1600s, which is why it's so often called the oldest cake in the world. The lattice on top isn't just decoration: it lets the jam bubble and thicken as it bakes instead of steaming the crust soft.

The Recipe

Yield 10–12 slices
Prep Time 40 minutes
Baking Time 35–45 minutes
Total Time 3½ hours

What you'll need

  • 23cm (9 inch) tart pan with a removable bottom
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Rolling pin
  • Parchment paper
  • Sharp knife or pastry wheel
  • Pastry brush
  • Wire rack

Ingredients

Nut dough

  • 180g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 150g (1½ cups) ground almonds (or hazelnuts)
  • 130g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
  • 2.5g (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • 1.5g (¼ tsp) salt
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 150g (⅔ cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk

Filling & finish

  • 320g (1 cup) redcurrant jam (or raspberry)
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp milk, for brushing
  • Confectioners' (icing) sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions

  1. Mix the dry ingredients In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and lemon zest.
  2. Make the dough Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the egg and egg yolk and work everything together just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Don't overwork it.
  3. Chill Set aside about one third of the dough for the lattice. Pat both portions into flat discs, wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour, until firm.
  4. Line the pan Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Press the larger portion of dough evenly into the base and up the sides of the tart pan, about 5mm thick. Prick the base all over with a fork.
  5. Fill Stir the jam to loosen it, then spread it evenly over the dough, stopping about 1cm from the edge so it doesn't bubble over.
  6. Make the lattice Roll the reserved dough between two sheets of parchment to about 4mm thick and chill for 10 minutes so it firms up. Cut into strips about 1.5cm wide. Lay half the strips across the tart, then lay the rest diagonally across them to form a diamond pattern. Press the ends into the rim and trim off any excess. If a strip breaks, just press the pieces back together.
  7. Brush and bake Brush the lattice and rim with the egg wash. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the jam is bubbling at the edges. If the top browns too fast, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
  8. Cool Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1½ hours, so the jam sets. Remove from the pan and dust with confectioners' sugar if you like. For the best flavor, wait until the next day to serve.

Tips & Notes

  • The dough is soft and sticky by design: lots of nuts and very little gluten. Chilling is what makes it workable, so don't skip it
  • Traditional Linzer Torte uses redcurrant jam for its sharpness against the sweet, spiced crust. Raspberry works well, and blackcurrant is a good option too
  • Use a thick, well-set jam. If yours is runny, simmer it for a few minutes and let it cool before spreading
  • It's even better the next day: the crust softens slightly and the spices settle into the jam
  • Ground hazelnuts are the other classic choice. They give a toastier flavor than almonds